Snow load may have caused cabin explosion

An unoccupied cabin in north Routt County near Columbine exploded Wednesday morning, according to the Routt County Sheriff’s Office.

No one was in the cabin, and no injuries have been reported, said Routt County Undersheriff Josh Carrell, who added there is no threat to surrounding structures.

About 7:40 a.m., scanner traffic indicated dispatch received 911 calls reporting an explosion near the intersection of County Road 129 and Forest Service Road 490, the latter of which is the road to the Hahns Peak Trailhead.

Later, scanner traffic indicated that the building appeared to have exploded, with “shrapnel” strewn around it. Members of the North Routt Fire Protection District worked to shut off any utility connections and ensure the fire went out, although they were not actively working to extinguish it, according to scanner traffic.

The early cause of the fire appeared to be the snow load on the roof of the cabin, which shifted and impacted a natural gas line, according to scanner traffic.

The investigation is ongoing. If that turns out to be the cause of this explosion, it wouldn’t be the first time snow load has caused such a boom.

In 2016, a home in Steamboat Springs exploded after firefighters believed snow slid off the roof and struck a gas line, triggering a fire and explosion.

Routt County has recorded strong snowfall this year, and data near Columbine indicates North Routt has received 146% of the 30-year median of snow water equivalent, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.